The volunteers raised funds aside from personally undertaking cleanup and repair work in two schoolsThe EmPOWER Employee Volunteers of First Gen Corporation once again joined the annual “Brigada Eskwela” to support underserved schools as they welcome students for the academic year.

They selected two schools as EmPOWER beneficiaries for 2024: Sun Valley Elementary School (SVES) in Parañaque City and Puray National High School (PNHS) in Rodriguez, Rizal. The employees raised P107,000 for the activity, surpassing their initial target of P75,000.

SVES serves over 2,000 students and 94 teachers. Twenty-nine First Gen volunteers repaired chairs, repainted classrooms and refreshed SVES’ hallways. In addition, they donated P12,000 for school supplies and the construction of classroom dividers for special needs education students.

“Working for a company that takes corporate social responsibility seriously is incredibly fulfilling. Brigada Eskwela was just one example of how our organization is making a positive impact on our community,” said business development analyst Zhilla Estuita.

“Helping our community in any way possible… gives me enjoyment. Being part of a company that prioritizes serving the country over self-business interests drives me to be part of and participate in CSR projects,” shared administrative services associate JC Oracion.

PNHS faces a unique set of challenges. The school has 180 junior high school students, many of whom belong to the Dumagat Remontado indigenous cultural community. Each day, they cross a 20-meter river that can quickly swell, often exposing them to strong currents and higher water levels; they then walk an additional 270 meters to reach the school. Moreover, the aftermath of the floods caused by typhoon Carina left their classrooms filled with mud and debris.

The EmPOWER volunteers allocated P95,000 for health, cleaning and learning supplies for PNHS. They were also able to experience the students’ everyday journey when they personally delivered the donations to the school.

“I am unable to find words that can aptly describe the excitement of the students when they received your gifts… I’m sure that they are more inspired to study knowing that even with the distance, and that river, they are not forgotten. It felt like early Christmas for them,” Janice Dugan, CSR senior manager, told the employee volunteers.

Story by: Dianne Datu